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Sword and Spear
---- There were always rumors in Dressrosa. Rumors of champions and cutthroat gladiators in the Coliseum, most of which failed to impress anyone of high status. It was on the fifth of the eight outlying islands that rumors were growing even more. Tales of an untouchable champion, fighting day after day with no one to take her title. That in itself had peaked the interest of the King, Longinus Niu, but the final straw that had sent her to the island itself, was that the coliseum was in currently in pieces. A large chunk of it turned to a massive pile of rubble. Despite that, matches were still ongoing and the few of today's was starting soon. And the Red King arrived, not on boat or ship, but from the sky, floating using her Devil Fruit's power, and landing gently, without making a sound. And still, when the civilians and workers took notice, they immediately took it on themselves to bow their heads in respect to their ruler. Niu ignored them, walking passed the civilians as they made a clear path for her to move through, entering the Colosseum Master's office inside the coliseum itself. Inside the office, an adult man sat in front of his desk, looking over various papers and a calendar, organizing events and matches "Drakos." Despite the utter nonchalance of Niu's voice, the Colosseum Master was startled, jolting from his seat and almost falling off, his papers scattering all around. However, they did not touch the ground, instead, being gently placed back on the desk. Drakos stood back up, facing the King, startled even further by her sudden appearance "King Niu! My deepest apologies! I must have forgotten the monthly check-up was tod-...!". "The meeting is in two days." The King replied, her voice was much quieter, but still quieting down Drakos, "I came for the invincible champion of the fifth island." Niu said, walking closer to Drakos, who bowed his head lower and lower to try and avoid getting into eye contact with her "Cancel the next match. Reinstate me as the opponent for this person who I keep hearing about.". Drakos sighed in relief, and on Niu's command, rose back up, smiling brightly towards the King "Ah~ With pleasure, my King." He felt a huge burden fall off his chest when this is all the King wanted from him "This reminds me, m-...my dutiful, diligent King, if I could request a higher budget for future events. I-...I am rather short on funds, you see. The fifth island hasn't bee doing quite well in comparison to the others..." Drakos meekly requested of the King. "What do you think the next match is." Niu said, her unchanging tone failing to convey the question properly, "This will be the greatest honor any of the eight islands will ever have. Your budget will increase after today." She turned around towards the exit "I will be in the arena, helping you gather an audience for once." And with that, Drakos was left to arrange the events as she requested. Clara didn't pay attention to any of the chatter around her. It was natural. She always showed up on time. Every day like clockwork until the fighting was done. She walked into the arena, the familiar weight of Tainbain at her hip, looking around. Clara's face was nearly expressionless, eyes slightly narrowed. She hadn't been in Dressrosa for more than three years, but she did know the face of the King and the story of the Day of Red. She glanced up at the official, a pale rounded man who was currently sweating profusely. Then at the area to her left, still in repair. Then back to Nui. Clara drew her weapon, sliding into a familiar stance. There was no audience cheer. Not a soul made any noise. They all looked patiently and calmly at the two combatants. Some coughed to clear their throats, others swallowed their breath, but no one spoke a word. Even the Fighting Fish in the waters around the ring were calm, no waves on the waters whatsoever. They were all fearful of the King entering a Colosseum. Niu scraped her heel against the arena's ground, feeling the material. The fifth island really was short on funds, or Drakos was greedy, misusing the funds to get drunk and impress some wench. The Colosseum wasn't fully reinforced with Orichalcum. If anything, it did the bare minimum job, and still, being able to break through it was impressive. The repairs weren't done, but we're good enough. There was no audience seating on that part of the arena, most likely fearing it was unsafe. Finally meeting eye to eye with Clara, Niu opened her mouth, and her voice was heard better than anyone, the audience dead quiet, "So the invincible, untouchable champion, is a woman with a sword." Niu's posture, expression, and voice gave off no vibes, no intimidation, greetings, nothing. It was just there. "Is there a problem with that?" The Champion spoke in a similar lack of tone, though the words themselves were almost over enunciated. "Only if you have it undeservingly," Niu replied. She shuffled her feet on the floor, taking off her heels, leaving them behind her as she took a step forward "This is a test of those claims. The conditions are simple. You win, you are free. You lose, you are mine." She took one step forward, and the wind moved with her as if her body commanded it to follow her. The audience grew more anxious as their King began to move. They anticipated and dreaded what would follow, and prayed it would end quickly with little bloodshed. Planting her left foot on the ground, using her arms and body to balance herself, Niu swiped her right leg in a crescent shape in front of her, the tip of her toes scraping the stone floor of the arena. It moved at blinding speed, forming the crescent shape, and when it became visible again, the leggings on her right leg was born, from her foot to her knee. A small gust of wind pushed forward in the crescent shape, quickly followed by the arena's ground rising, a wall of stone being forced out of the ground towards the Champion. The force behind the stone wall pushed against a wall of air, breaking through and creating a shockwave as it continued. It moved fast, tearing the ground more and more as it extended, while Niu was still amidst her recovery after her attack. When she stands upright once more, with both feet touching the ground, the stone wall will close the distance between it and Clara, hitting with power greater than a cannon ball, most likely shattering itself upon impact. "Longinus Style: Three." Clara reacted quickly, waiting until the impending wall was at arm's length. With her free arm and sword at her side, Clara simply reached forward, striking the stone. In a split second, it violently ruptured, breaking apart into small shards that began to litter the ground of the arena. A deafening roar insured from the crowd. She waited until it died down in a hush of the next attack before she spoke, "What do you want with me?" "What do I want." Niu reiterated. Her exposed feet didn't seem to bother her, as she took a step forward closer to Clara "I want to see if you're worth your salt." Niu replied. She glanced to the right, towards the audience with her single eye, causing them to almost curl up and die from her glare, despite it being the same expression she's had the entire time. Facing Clara again, Niu extended her arm to her "Do you want to see the world. Do you want great treasures. Men, or women, money, whatever it is you desire, I can grant it. All you have to do is win." She offered Clara, seeing as the woman isn't going to fight despite Niu making the first move. She had to try and persuade her with promises and motivate her. "I've already required what I wanted to achieve in life. I have no further ambition." It was true. She had ruined her brother and her family's wishes. That was satisfactory payback to what they had done to her. But, Clara had no desire to be some possession. Tianbain swung upwards from her side in a flash. The speed so intense that it created a thin slash of compressed air, flying through the air towards Niu's body. "Oh." Niu's nonchalance began to sound almost like she was mocking Clara with how casual she took everything. She scraped her left foot on the ground, drawing closer towards Clara as her blade drew closer. Her right leg rose from the ground in an upwards, vertical motion, an aura surrounding her leg, turning pitch black. Underestimating Clara's blade would be an unfortunate mistake. Her kick struck the slash of air pressure, splitting it as it continued to reach the walls and waters behind Niu, leaving marks on the stone with small orichalcum reinforcements. There was a fair distance between the two women. But it was no issue. Niu quickly lowered her foot back down, the moment it touched the ground, her right arm shot forth like a bullet, an open palm that pushed the air with her. The palm slowly closed into a "grip", and it became clear it wasn't meant to hit Clara, but rather, prepare an attack. She continued her movement, performing an 180-degree spin, and when her back was turned to Clara, her right leg extended forth, swiping in a much larger crescent range, encompassing 180 degrees. When Niu's face met with Clara once more, the ground rose, much like before, but this time, a greater range. It was initially like the last one; a small gust of wind, and then a wall of stone rising and tearing from the ground. But soon, it became something else, as the stone wall continued forward it was more like a wave of broken rubble and dirt, rising upwards in danger of consuming Clara. It moved surprisingly fast for what is essentially a hunk of broken pieces of the stone floor being forced towards her. Before and while performing the technique, Niu's "grip" began to hold something, and her Busoshoku Haki spread to solidify the air she grabbed a hold of. After Three was used and began to make its way towards Clara, Niu immediately threw the Haki-imbued air spear as well, aiming for Clara. The wave of rocks was a distraction for the spear that would break through it and hit Clara, piercing her body, if no obstacles presented themselves. "Longinus Style: Zeroth." Using the same technique again would not be effective against her, no matter the scale. If she had destroyed it before, she would destroy it again. Clara thought the King would be smarter than that. It didn't make sense. As a precaution, Clara focused, synchronizing with her Haki, employing Kenbunshoku, as the wall before her shattered once again when her hand made contact. First, it appeared in her mind. The flash of a black spear flying out of the rubble. Then the debris split. Clara raised Tianbain, slicing through the projectile before it could reach her. She had been right. Clara felt her heart jump, responding to the thrill of the fight as blood roared through her vein. She didn't remember the last time she had been so excited. She shot forward, rapidly closing the gap as she got in close, Tianbain held in a back-grip. When she reached Niu, Clara stopped for a brief second, the blade making a 45° angle with her forearm. She watched for any hint of a reaction then planted one foot forward, pivoting her opposite hip backward to reinforce the strength of the swing that drew close to Niu's side. The audience wanted to cheer for Clara, as the tension rose. With every move the King did, she chipped away at the arena and used it against her opponent. As the swordswoman grew closer to the Red King, Niu breathed out, either as a sigh or to focus. A breeze blew by, going unnoticed at first, but soon, something felt very wrong. Her leg swung in the opposite side towards Clara's attack in a kick, coated in Busoshoku Haki, turned black from the hardening effect. The kick connected with the blade. Upon impact, a shockwave burst and dented the two combatants into the ground, an imprint of their feet being left behind, while the floor caved under them from the intensity, and the audience had to shield themselves, some falling off their seats and crawling under to avoid any harm. Following that, the force from Niu's kick continued much after hitting Tianbain, hitting the wall facing it, creating a deep hole through the wall, reaching the outside of the colosseum walls, much to the shock of bystanders just passing by, in particular, a merchant's stand that was obliterated by the attack. Niu's dress ripped at the tips from the force of her attack, while miraculously, her heels stayed perfectly still in the same spot she left them at. Clara's hands tightened on her sword, holding her own against the impact. Niu had made a mistake in touching her. Suddenly, a pulse ran down the blade, splintering the Haki around Niu's leg, the cracks running towards her flesh. The arena burst again, breaking under Clara's feet as intense wind pressure burst from the force of her effect, picking up stray rubble and flinging it outwards. She drew her away, removing Tianbain from contact. She could be "free" if she won, but lobbing off the King's leg wouldn't do her any favors. When Niu felt the mysterious tear against her flesh, she leaped backward, at the same time Clara took a few steps back. She landed on her left foot, keeping perfect balance as she kept her right leg, the one she kicked with, raised upwards, close to her waist. It began to bleed, but the wounds themselves weren't awfully terrible. Her Haki protected her flesh, but it was indeed broken through. Niu settled on putting much more "willpower" into her Busoshoku Haki, hardening it more than she initially did. "You devoured a Devil Fruit. How much did it contribute to your victory, I wonder." It was an oddity to hear phrased questions have the same tone throughout, with no different beat at all. Niu lowered her leg down, her foot touching the ground. At the middle, the arena split, making a pathway for water to get spring in, creating a small path of water between her and Clara. From the hole she created, people began to watch through, and the whispering of gossip began to emanate from within. But it stopped as soon as they saw their King within the arena grounds, and the gossip became a silent, fearful prayer. "Swim for me." Niu kicked the air upwards, sending a large slash of air pressure towards Clara, and another when her leg came back down but slowed down to a halt immediately before it gently touched the ground. She bent her body forward, and when the two air slashes were only a few steps ahead, she bolted to the side, extending both arms forward. A good chunk of Niu's left sleeve tore off, either from the intensity and force of her movement, exposing her infamous "zombie arm". No nails on her fingers, deathly pale, twisted skin running all the way to her shoulder. It was quite the sight for newcomers. "Longinus Style..." Once again, Niu began to grip and hold the air, imbuing it with Busoshoku Haki. She prepared her spears, and when her feet touched the ground again, she uttered "Zeroth." Throwing the two spears, one at a time, creating a quadruple assault from two directions, a set of air slashes to cut through stone with ease, while the spears of haki-imbued air traveled faster and could pierce steel before dissipating. Clara looked at the water between them and the oncoming attacks. Two from the front, two from the left, all synchronized to spell her defeat. It wasn't something she could handle with one blade. She gripped Tianbain with two hands, severing the blade into its halves, Xiao and Hai, the twin blades glinting in the sun. She dealt with the spears first, deflecting one of them into the ground with the flat of Hai while cutting through the second with Xiao. Both of the haki-projectiles were neutralized within a moment at the fluid tandem movements of Clara's blades. Next was the matter of the air slashes. She barely reacted in time, refusing Xiao and Hai midswing as her own slash bisected the air. Dirt kicked up as Clara moved, crossing back into close range territory. She halted for a moment at the water, then stuck Tianbain into it. The water exploding, separating into drops of rain across the entire arena. Clara crossed and continued towards Niu. "What a fascinating weapon." It sounded like a compliment but could be interpreted as a sarcastic remark, and Niu's mannerisms remained unchanged as she obliged to Clara's invitation, charging at the swordswoman. While the two moved quickly, Niu went through her own thoughts, thinking over her strategy. Clara's two blades are not an issue. She herself fights with all four spears that are her limbs. But her fruit is a different story. Its power is still unclear but it seems to relate to something destruction oriented. It happened after Niu's kick met with Clara's Tianbain. So she is to avoid the blade. If possible. Niu's speed suddenly gained a boost. The moment she took another step forward, her body was propelled forward, creating a strong gust of wind, followed by the ground shattering, rising upwards into rubble, a maelstrom of stone and dust being created behind and around her, as if Niu's body was forcing the scenery to follow after her, dragging them along. "Longinus Style." A vacuum was almost created, and while heading towards Clara, Niu clenched her hand into a fist, coating it in Busoshoku Haki, the spiritual aura hardening and become pitch black. She extended her arm forward, and the air followed, the aforementioned maelstrom becoming a cyclone, a large spear made from the surrounding, with Niu's fist as the "tip". "Ten." Despite the chaos surrounding her person, Niu's tone and expression still refused to falter, even a bit. Clara blinked. The King was brutally offensive, matching her own style in that regard. Everything about her was a honed weapon, and she had barely made a dent in Niu's defenses. Clara didn't back down, instead, returning Tianbain to its sheath. The two met and Clara, uncharacteristically of the fighting style drilled into her, grabbed Niu's fist. Then, the cyclone hit and Clara was ripped from the earth. She felt her ribs crack, breath ripped out of her lungs, then she hit the ground. Coughing, Clara fought to stand. She wasn't going to give up now. She may have been hit, but, there was a reason. She had grabbed Niu. She could fracture the King. Clara clenched her fist and watched as blood spurted from Niu's horrifying arm. But the King didn't stop. Blood gushed from her left arm, and she took a step forward. The maelstrom she created began to twist around the two, sealing them both inside a twister of stone and dust. She was unhinged, not the least bit shaken by Clara's damage, or the surrounding chaos. "Why does the peasant bow to the King." Niu questioned Clara. Somehow her calm, nonchalant voice reached the swordwoman's ears despite the torrent surrounding them. Even the water began to follow, the strong winds pulling and dragging them, as the audience began to flee their seats, and a tower of intense, shredding wings began visible beyond the arena walls with its height, catching the entire island's attention. Niu took another step forward, and the twister moved with her, using the closeness between her and Clara to her advantage, opening her fist and gripping her wrist, drawing Clara to an uncomfortably close degree "Because it is the natural law of this world." She answered, the distance closing further. The King's presence took hold over Clara, and before the jade-haired woman could notice, Niu's right hand already went around her neck, gripping her and lifting her above her feet. The storm seemed to intensify around them, and still, Niu's voice reached Clara's ears. "And now, you are mine." Clara swallowed hard, "Yes, Your Majesty." ---- Within the castle of the main island, Dressrosa, deep inside its corridors, Niu rested against the pristine marble surface at the edge of the large bathtub, submerging the majority of her body in the waters. It was more akin to a pool, being able to have an entire family in it and still have more room. The entire room itself was like a fancy hot spring, with detached shower heads sprinkled at the walls of the room, if a bath isn't good enough, seats and more soap to be used. Her arm's bleeding stopped, partially because she forced it to, using the Muki Muki no Mi to redirect the spilling blood back into her wounds, and letting it heal naturally, despite the doctor's protest. One couldn't tell her left arm had any new wounds on it. Niu invited Clara to join her, which she accepted, though whether by choice or not is unclear. "A bath to wash off the sweat and soothe the adrenaline is a truly wonderful experience," Niu said, pulling her hair back, exposing the x-shaped scar on her left eye, and empty socket, in which two points of the scar reached the bridge of her nose. She tied her hair in a ponytail using a single band, before referring back to Clara "Feel free to stay as long as you wish. We will discuss business when you have a rest." Four maids entered the baths, fully dressed in their uniform, two maids going to each woman's side. Niu exited the bath, sitting at the edge of the marble floor, as the two maids began washing her body "The maids will take care of any needs you have. Don't be shy." Niu said to Clara, as the two other maids stood near her, outside the bath, waiting for orders. Clara hadn't touched the water yet. She stood with arms crossed, facing Niu. She was still dressed. Her heart racing in her chest, every muscle tensed, inhales sharp from the pain of what she presumed were broken ribs. She didn't like the feeling. She felt trapped. But this was the King. She could not disobey her command. Her shirt went off first, a dirty and bloodstained thing from the arena. At the sound of a sharp gasp, Clara shot a glare back to one of the servants that were supposed to take care of her. "Get out," She said, continuing to undress. Clara didn't need people to wait on her like that. She sat on the edge, legs dangling in the water, a washcloth and a bar of soap next to her. The final piece was to tie her hair up. She hesitated for a moment, before pulling it into a bun. Niu raised her hand, gesturing to the two servants to stop, standing up and stepping back "No need to be on edge. Our fight ended. This is a time of relaxation." She said to Clara, resting her head on both her hands, as her elbows rested on her legs "Consider this off-time." Despite her words, Niu didn't believe she could get Clara to open up so easily. She needed to interrogate her and start small. "What is your name." "Clara." "Don't lie to me. Your entire look screams Wano. I saw my fair share of your people." "..." "Tell it to me, your name." This time, it was not a question, but an order from the King. Clara's hand itched for the familiarity of her weapon. She hated how utterly and completely at mercy she was. Vulnerable. There was nothing to protect her. Not even clothes. "Yongqi Zuko," She said reluctantly, spitting the name out like it was an overripened fruit. "I may not speak the native language of Wano, but your parents could have chosen a better name." Niu said, snapping her fingers to the maids, as all four left the room. "Let's get to know each other better, Clara." She stood up, extending her arms to the sides "There is nothing to conceal us. Get a good look at these scars." Niu extended her left arm forth, water continuing to drip from it, its red drop vanishing in the bath's foam "This arm that I almost lost." She directed her finger to her eye "The eye I did lose." And then to a small, bullet-like wound atop her collarbone, leaning slightly to right "The heart that could have stopped beating." She then turned, exposing her bare back to Clara, showing a gruesome series of scars that looked more like the markings of claws from some wild beast. There was barely any surface on her back without an injury "You can touch if you wish. See they are genuine." Niu said, sending an array of mixed messages to Clara, "We hide nothing in this room. Nothing external, at least." She understood Niu's message. There wasn't really a choice in it. Niu had noticed the way one of her maids had looked at Clara and wanted to investigate. Clara obliged, standing up and turning her shoulder to show Niu. Her back was a tattered canvas of scars. Some were large linear slashes of raised flesh, while others were more painful. Circular indents made by knives chipping into her skin. She stood for a few seconds, long enough for Niu to see before settling back into the water. "Hm." Niu sat back down, getting back into the waters as well, submerging until they just barely touched her shoulders, "What a loving family you must have. Very precise with their knives." She said, deducing from her name and those scars that something was terribly wrong with Clara's home, and a good reason to be here, away from Wano. "There's a reason you found me in a colosseum." The four maids returned, each one carrying a bottle with a different drink inside of it, balanced atop a plate with drinking cups "Ah, and they return." Niu said, gesturing to the maids to come closer "Have a drink. Become adjusted to this lifestyle." One of the maids began pouring grape juice to Niu, giving her the cup, "Enjoy." A glass of extended to Clara. She took it cautiously, making eye contact and dipping her head in thanks. It could be poison or a drug, Clara decided, but she had a feeling that death would be far less mortifying than the situation she was in. She took small sips of it, eying Niu. "Why." Clara asked. She didn't need to say more. Niu would understand. "You are not the first to be here, in this bath with me. Invited to have a drink, with nothing to hide, and given an opportunity. Some needed fights, some didn't." Niu replied to Clara, chugging down her drink, extending it to the maid to refill it, as she relaxed against the edge of the bath, her arms lying on the marble floor "Do you know why you are here." She arched her head back, relaxing her body "That is, because they chose to go. Usually, when I heard of them again, they were either dead or begging to return and take my offer. They crawled back and begged. And so I told them to go away. I do not need weaklings who beg.". She took another drink, finishing it and putting the cup on the plate, leaning forward again, the band coming undone, causing Niu's hair to cover her eyes, so she brushed the right half behind her ear, doing nothing to the left side as it hid her scars "I am offering you a job. If you accept, you will live here, with only one duty to follow. If you refuse, you are free to go on your merry way, as if you won our match prior. Do whatever you want. But, it is your one and only chance for this." She would sound threatening, if her tone had a higher beat to it "No need to decide now, however. I am a patient woman." Clara considered. She didn't like playing pawn. She had done it for long enough. However, this was quite the opportunity. She wouldn't need to worry about money, food, or having a bed to come back to. The offer was enticing. She cleared her throat, "What is the job?" "W-..." Before Niu could continue, the doors opened, as a slender, young brunette entered the bathroom, carrying nothing but a towel. She immediately stopped when noticing Niu and Clara, coming to the conclusion her mother was having an important discussion most likely. She quickly covered herself with her towel "Oh shi-...!" She stopped herself from saying anything vulgar and turned around, "My bad! Sorry!" She quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her. "..." Niu coughed, before continuing "That was my daughter, Nyssa. One of them anyway." She explained "Your duty is to protect the princesses. But Nyssa primarily, because she is the weakest one, needing the most protection, so prioritize her." Clara choked on her drink at the sight of the Princess. She quickly pulled it together, averting her gaze for the most part. It took a moment for her to realize that Niu was waiting for an answer. Her skills were certainly high enough to do such a job and living without necessity would be a pleasant change for once. "I accept. Thank you, Your Majesty.". "Excellent." Niu nodded in approval, standing up, rising from the waters, "Well, I should introduce you to Nyssa proper. You may have nothing to physically hide from one another, but there are still things you need to know." Gesturing to the maids, Niu was given a robe, putting it on and tying the belt around her waist "Feel free to leave whenever. The maids are here for your entertainment until then." She said, leaning over against the wall near the exit to the bathes, waiting for Clara. Clara quickly exited after her, accepting a robe. She had no desire to spend more time than necessary in such an uncomfortable environment. She would feel much better when dressed with her sword at her side again. She looked at Niu, giving a silent signal that she was prepared for the next command. And with that, the two left, getting dressed beforehand. Well, Clara has, Niu remained in her bathrobe, and only put on slippers before leaving. She left a trail of water dripping from her hair, that dried up and became less notable as time continued. Eventually, the two arrived at a single door, at the end of a corridor with a multitude of doors on the halls, like a hotel almost. Niu knocked on the door once, receiving a "Coming!" Reply from a feminine voice, as Nyssa opened the door. The young princess was taken aback by her mother in bathrobes, entering her room, followed by Clara, which immediately struck with Nyssa, causing her to blush at the remembrance of their first impressions "O-...Oh, Mama, you b-...brought your, uh...guest with you? Haha..." She was audibly nervous. "Clara." Niu turned, placing her hand on Clara's shoulder "This is Nyssa. She is the weakest and most frail of my daughters, hence, she is your top priority. You will not leave her side unless I say so, or she is under someone else's watch." Niu explained to Clara, before walking away "If you would excuse me now, I have to return to my room. I left my wife alone for too long. This is your first day on the job, Clara. Do well." Niu left, the door shutting behind her without needing to touch it, leaving the newly assigned bodyguard with the young princess. It was silent at first. Neither of the two women said anything, and the first to speak was Nyssa "Well, you don't have to worry about guarding me now. I'm in my room, so, feel free to...to uh, take a break?" The princess awkwardly tried to start a conversation with her new bodyguard but found it difficult when she knew nothing about her besides her name. Clara nodded, looking around the room. Her hand was on the blade at her hip and she felt quite out of place in the clothes she wore. Niu told her an official uniform would be coming but for now, she was practically in rags compared to the luxury of the palace. "Thank you, Your Highness," Clara said stiffly, leaning herself up against the wall in a corner of the room. Nyssa wasn't really taken aback by Clara's serious nature. Her mother is Niu after all. But, her mother is also Camelia, the Queen. A bit of a more out-going individual would be nice for once, and if this is her bodyguard, she would need to get to know her better, or at least get used to her "Well, since you're going to be my roommate, almost, we should get to know each other better!" Nyssa said, extending her hand to Clara for a handshake "I'm Nyssa, nice to meet you. Clara, right?" "Yes," Clara replied, firmly shaking Nyssa's hand, "It is nice to meet you too." ----